Interpol - Interpol
- Written by Rosie Duffield
I like Interpol. I’m sure many of you do, too. I mean, I’m not their biggest fan; to date I don’t own any of their albums and really only know about them from songs that have featured on TV shows. But generally, I like them. So I jumped at the chance to review Interpol to rectify the fact that I only own the odd song from their back catalogue, and might get a real feel for them. So, my verdict on the new album? Disappointing.
Perhaps I’m just not getting it. But I have listened to it repetitively for the last few days, and it still hasn’t really grown on me. Because, well, the album itself is a bit repetitive. Sure, there are some good hooks - ‘Success’ is relatively catchy – but none of the tracks have the same pull that earlier tracks had, like ‘Evil’ or ‘The Heinrich Maneuver’. In fact, some, like ‘Safe Without’ and ‘Try It Out’ are quite tiresome with recurring lyrics or riffs respectively.
Paul Banks’ vocals, ever-distinctive as they are, become monotonous and, quite frankly, annoying after a while. With almost every track on the album over four minutes (four songs come in at over five minutes), this becomes a bit of a problem. There are some good tracks on the album, however. ‘Lights’ is alright once it gets going, and ‘Barricade’ (the lead single) is most definitely the highlight of Interpol. But two out of ten isn’t great.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that the album is a bit bland, as the band have clearly been distracted over the last year or so. What with bassist Carlos D leaving - albeit after recording had been completed - and various side projects going on (Sam Foragino with Magnetic Morning and Banks’ solo release), it’s a wonder they had time to produce another album. Having been drawn to the band initially because of their distinctive sound – the unique vocals, the dark but punchy soundtrack – this album feels like a huge let-down. What Interpol have produced here is frustratingly lacklustre.